Pride and Power
by Flit-Flibbertigibbet
Summary: An exploration of drabbles in the psychotic world of Aang and Azula. rated T just in case
1. Intrigue

**So here's my first Azula and Aang pairing...there's something about them I kinda love...and a lot of symbolism I've notcied as well, but that's to be explored later. This is set in the Crystal Catacombs, and I'm hoping to develop a whole story from it eventually.  
oh yeah-i dont own the bald kid. that's slavery, kids!  
love, flibberty.**

She watched her lightning, cast like a flashing, sizzling extension of her arm, twirl lazily through the air until it hit her target. The young man writhed and screamed, and Azula's eyes widened. For just a moment, she saw who this man was. She saw his strength and determination, and underneath it all, she saw his raw power.  
Azula was a hungry creature, a great cat among birds. But she had found an eagle.  
And she wanted it.

He saw the light from behind his eyelids. As the burning force slammed into him, he opened his eyes and looked at his attacker. Flashing in those golden eyes was something alien, and compelling. He saw the way she was confident and assured, and the way she shot at him so carelessly, bringing down the hope of the world with a smile. He saw her selfishness and pride.  
Aang was a curious man, a traveler in many worlds. And here was a whole new world to explore.  
He wanted it.


	2. On Silk and Moth Carcasses

**So I'll just say it. I'm not very funny. I just think Azula is pretty funny. Maybe I'm messed up. So this is just a little blip, I guess. Each of these one shots will be set after the first one, and I might tell a story with them, I might not, thy're written seperately, in different styles, so this IS NOT a story. It's an experimental collection. So just-pretend theyre all little consecutive stories, okay? okay thanks!  
I don't own it. shock.  
3, flit-flibberty**

Azula flipped onto her side, squinting her eyes tightly close. She commanded sleep to come to her, as she did every night. The Princess waited. A moth hit the window.

Azula set it on fire.

She felt marginally better. So eventually, she slipped out of her satin sheets (silk is far too common for her) and glared out the window. Not that the window had offended her. It was just convenient. Glaring, Azula imagined the real reason for her irritation, her unrest, on fire. She smiled, then frowned. That image should have been more triumphant. It shouldn't have been…tempting.

Princesses don't give in to temptation. This Azula did by simply not having temptations. For the image of burning her long-time quarry to be tempting, meant she actually cared. Azula was not one for caring. She didn't like the feeling. It made her feel…

Pissed. And Azula didn't do pissed either. Coldly furious, yes. Cynical, certainly. Pissed is an emotion beneath her, like silk. So Azula turned, grinning maniacally, to gather her things and set off. Nobody gives Azula feelings. Ever.

So she cheerfully set out to kill the Avatar.


	3. Outside the Fire

**See? I promised I'd be back! Eventually! So here's the next chapter, I'm sorry that Aang comes off a bit like a jerk, but he's an angsty teen..he's AANGSTY! haha, get it? okay, sorry...I'll just go now...**

Aang toyed with his food. He rolled it around on his plate, his eyes half shut. Eventually he sighed, stood, and strode from the campfire without a word. A momentary hush fell, then conversation resumed in harsh whispers. He knew what they were whispering about, and why, but their constant concern chafed at him. Setting his eyes on the horizon, Aang thought of the only woman who didn't coddle him-the woman who did quite the opposite.

Damn! For an assassin, she was disturbingly alluring. Aang thought of how she laughed in exhilaration, how she thoroughly enjoyed fighting, loved to use her skills to do what she wanted. Aang envied her freedom. He was chained by years of teaching from the monks, of being told violence was wrong, that one must sacrifice oneself for the whole. Why couldn't he give in and enjoy what he was good at? Why did he always have to rein himself in?

"Aang?" Oh, right. He mustn't terrify the others. Pasting a grin on his face, he turned to face Katara, who had dutifully checked in to play mother.

"Hey Katara." She twisted her dress in her fingers, indecisive.

"Are you alright? You've hardly touched your food, and you…don't talk like you used to." Aang replied shortly, barely suffocating a sigh.

"Yes Katara, I'm fine. I'm just thinking." She bit her lip, a soft, pink wonder Aang used to dream about. But at that sight, a different pair of lips appeared in his mind, smirking self-assuredly and seductively. Laughing at the girl's mothering. At that, Aang lost patience. Visions of his nemesis' required a thorough investigation. "Katara, I'm sorry, but I need some time alone. I need to think."

Katara hesitated, then shrugged and walked back to the group. Teo had an interesting story about the Temple, and she didn't want to miss it. Aang rolled his eyes as she left. She was sweet, true. But he was tired of sweet and good, and most of all, _right. _He wanted, just once, to be wrong and selfish and…bad. So, Aang set his shoulders. He wrote a note to the group and left it on the stone balcony. Then he grabbed his glider and pack.

_Hey guys, I'm going on a trip to figure some things out. Don't worry, I'll be fine, I'm just going to investigate something. Two weeks tops, I promise. Just stick to the ship's path, I'll meet up with you._

_\ ~Aang_

He flew into the night sky, towards a palace full of assassins, in a city that wished him dead, in a nation bent on destroying the world.

Logic wasn't his strong point.


	4. Coincidental Fate

**Okay…so I'm having too much fun with cynical Azula to be serious. I just love her so much! Gah! So…in case y'all haven't noticed, the format of this is slipping out of one shots and into an actual story. They're supposed to happen one after the other…I **_**might **_**actually have them TALK to each other in the next one! GASP! or maybe I'll want to build it more…what do you think? So-enjoy my darling 'Zula! And if you want more, stay tuned to this story, and check out my story, **_**Azula Tastes Defeat!**_

**nope…don't own it…**

Azula wasn't much for symbolism or fate. Her world was simple in a primal way. She either got what she wanted, or somebody died and _then _she got what she wanted. There was no higher power, because Azula had already filled that job. So the staggering coincidences leading up to her catalytic decision were merely that. Coincidences.

Coincidences like him not giving her what she wanted. Coincidences like her unprecedented attraction to him, and her even more unheard-of failure to capture him. Coincidences.

It simply couldn't be fate's orchestration. Their matched power, their ultimate purification of the elements, it wasn't fate. And fate most certainly wasn't present in their congruent white-hot auras. It couldn't be.

They were far too similar. Perhaps, Azula mused, they would be like the water that peasant so gracefully controlled. Maybe they would attract to each other and stick. Perhaps, like the stones that dirty little girl shaped, they would collide and explode.

Azula checked her thirty-five knife holsters to make sure she was prepared for anything.

She was aiming for the explosion.


	5. Meet and Greet

**Oh gosh! I'm alive! So my THOUSANDS of readers can rejoice! Or the realistic ten or so...Whatever. Guess what? There's going to be another Avatar! The Legend of Korra! i just about peed myself, i was so excited. AND it successfully reignited my writer's geeky passion! Stay tuned for more stuff from me!**

**Still dont own it...**

**3 flibberty**

The midnight air stabbed Aang's face like needles; the clouds soaked and smothered him. In short, life sucked. And he was pissed. What he hell was he doing? He left his warm bed, caring friends, important mission, and his responsibilities, all to chase some psychotic bitch hell-bent on murdering him. Brilliant. Except-his soft bed was itchy, his friends drove him crazy, his mission was boring, and his responsibilities included sitting on a freaking boat and having pebbles shot at his head. It was about time to take a joyride.

A joyride towards a psychotic murdering bitch. That one part bugged him. Here Aang is, practically the Messiah of his world, and he's chasing a crazy assassin with lightning in her hair.

"Hey, Azula. I couldn't help noticing as you shot deadly firebolts at me that you're crazy hot. In addition, I was hoping that maybe you could forget about killing me for a sec and we could make out. Yeah…I really know how to pick girls. First, a hormonal tease with the sex appeal of Momo, then some crazy fire breathing headcase. I was a monk for a reason." Grumbling, he didn't notice the swarming mass of scorpion-bees in front of him. Didn't notice, of course, until he flew face first into them. Chaos, predictably, ensued, and after a branch to the face, a stubbed toe, numerous bumps and bruises from conveniently placed rocks, and a mouthful of delectable grass, Aang rolled to a stop.

"Damn bees, damn clouds, damn glider, damn wind, damn Princess…I swear, that crazy bitch is probably happily roasting infants and using their screams as lullabies. Who am I to waltz in and interrupt her pleasure? Boning the Avatar is not worth giving up torture of infants. I may as well go back, find the damn boat and give-"

"Most definitely, you should. Besides, I don't roast infants. They're much tastier grilled." After ten seconds of undoubtedly attractive gaping, Aang managed to speak English.

"You know, I'd love to say you were joking, but honestly I believe you." The Princess laughed, and that's when the Avatar knew he was screwed.


	6. Riddling

**Here's the next chapter-oh gosh things are actually happening! And I saw a review that Aang was OOC and I realized that it may not be clear that he most definately is NOT 12. I planned this to be a little AU, that they didn't have a three-season TV show limit...I started this before I knew about the comet, so let's just suspend belief and say he's about sixteen. Four years isn't that long to overthrow a century-old corrupt government, right?**

"So…you know that if you weren't you you'd be dead right now, right?" Azula leaned against a tree, nearly smiling at the sight of the filthy, dumbfounded Avatar. Nearly. As the silence stretched on, she watched him stare at her, then belatedly shut his mouth and actually think. She expected a simple, monosyllabic question. Instead, he actually said something close to logical.

"Um…But if I wasn't me-then wouldn't somebody else be? Me, that is. So then wouldn't I theoretically still be me?" She glared at him, unhappy that he wasn't cowering from her in fear.

"How…repetitive of an answer. However, you missed my meaning completely. The only reason you're alive right now is that if I killed you, I'd have to go and find the next you. Contrary to…_popular_ belief, babies aren't actually a very appealing meal for me." His eyes bulged.

"How much did you hear?" She walked towards him, not answering. "Er-Princess? When you said you wouldn't kill me-"The moonlight caught on his ripped tunic, showing the wiry, steely cords of muscle beneath. She kept her level, though, and looked at his face. His…strong jawed, wide-eyed face…"Uh…Zula? Are you going to shove splinters into my fingernails, or something?" Apparently, her steely, confidently malicious mask still held. She stopped directly in front of him, successfully convincing herself that the heat in her cheeks was just blood to her brain, readying her for a fight. "Princess, I must admit, you're even scarier when you don't talk-can you just tell me what you're going to do to me?" Azula felt the rumbling of his surprisingly deep voice…so she punched him in the face.

"What the hell?" He stumbled back, holding his jaw as she turned away and headed out of the clearing.

"Nobody says boning anymore. Obviously you won't be any fun." She walked completely out of the light, hiding behind a tree as she felt him watch her leave. Surely, he would follow her, do his duty for the world and try to kill her. Isn't that why he was here? She swung up to a branch, invisible. Edging slowly around the trunk, she peeked around to look at him. The clearing was empty. One leaf fell in front of her eyes.

Then she found her arms pinned above her head and the Avatar pushed against her.

"Alright, Azula, why are you here?"


	7. Too many syllables

**Back from the dead, biatch! I just want to _finish this thing. _Sadly, I don't have an ending yet. The next one will probably finish this story. I think.**

Aang stood on the branch, pinning the murderously angry Fire Princess to the trunk. Funny how his libido was actually complying with real life. That was new. She tried to Firebend, but Aang leaned in and gently blew the flames out.

"Why are you here, Azula?" She glared at him, grinding her teeth. "Come on, I just caught you standing in a _tree _looking for me. _Without_ a knife or fatal weapon in your hands. Just tell me why you're here." Nothing. Her face stayed as impenetrable and bitchy as ever. Aang sighed. He came to try and seduce her, right? How…exactly was that done? Did you just sorta…paw the girl? No, damn it, you had to say something suave first!

Azula glared at him when she realized his attention had strayed. She needed to intimidate him, make him weak.

"I set a moth on fire tonight." Damn it.

"Oh. I'm very proud of you for that. Must have been nerve-wracking." Here he is, all of his blood decidedly _not _in his brain, and she's talking about insect massacre. Marvelous.

"I decided that it deserved to die. It touched my window. I don't like when dirty things touch my stuff." Aang suddenly decided that his hands were needed elsewhere, but without pockets he fell to halfheartedly stroking his potential mustache. "Please stop that. You're only reminding me that you're so much younger than me. It's pathetic."

"What, is insulting _older_ men who you plan on killing in treetops in the middle of the night more normal for you?"

"Now that you mention it, it's a pretty exclusive scenario. Now, I'd really _love _for you to reiterate your reason for being here. Because I've never heard anyone say boning before in my life." He shut his eyes in humiliation.

"I don't intend on _boning _you, ok? I just wanted to-talk to you."

"Right, because of my infinitely kind heart and altruism!"

"No, because you're a deadly, psycho bitch, and yet you're happier than me. And you're actually highly attractive. So, why not fly to my death to try and gain insight?" Checkmate. What could either of them say? The insanity of the moment was heady, ludicrously exclusive.

"It's easy. I simply don't give a shit, Avatar."

"Aang. Avatar has too many syllables. So what you're-"

"More apathetic than Mae, yes. I just enjoy it more. Quite simply, I am disturbed that I'm…_tempted _to kill you." He looked at her, nonplussed.

"No offense, but is this a _new thing? _Pretty much everybody you know is tempted to kill me. Hence the assassins and the murdering-ness!" Suddenly, her head dropped back and her body shook. A terrifying noise erupted from her throat, and Aang almost left the tree before-

"Holy _shit, _you're actually laughing."


	8. Morning

Dawn rose. The Princess of the Fire Nation rose from her bed, glancing at a servant girl sweeping moth-dust off the window-sill. Striding into the throne room, she took her rightful place by her father.

"How was your night, Princess?"

"Illuminating."

As Aang landed on board the familiar boat, his most abrasive friend happened to spot him first.

"Yo, Princess. How was your random sulky adventure?"

"It was kinda nice, Toph. I got some things done that-Well, I just learned a lot.

"That's nice. You look awful. Go to bed."

**Ok. So now you all hate me. So basically, i am NOT a wuss who couldn't make up a conclusion. There really is one. i know exactly what happened. And I'm not too lazy, either. Though that's part of it. basically, for my own little reasons, i wanted to keep you guys wondering. Because that is the ONLY WAY Azual and Aang would work out. If they keep themselves in the dark about their love lives. I could go into a rant, but I shall not. Because I feel liek these two have finished in my head. And that feels FREAKING AWESOME. Mmmkay. See ya.**


End file.
